The Slevin Family of Kentucky and Peoria, Illinois
Gene, Lucille, and Spalding, Jr.
1924
New! With the help of another Slevin descendant, I have tracked down Richard Slevin's parents!
Note: Most of this information comes from census records and the like, but some is from a family history prepared by a great-grandchild of Tully Slevin, since deceased. Her conclusions seem to be supported by outside sources, but I cannot speak for the validity of certain facts, such as Susannah's maiden name or exact birth dates for many of his children. I will continue to research this line in the hopes of verifying her claims.
Tully Daniel Slevin, his wife Susannah, and their family immigrated from Ireland to America in December of 1811. They traveled on the ship The Alexander, out of Londonderry, Ireland, and made port in New York City on or before 21 December 1811. Tully and his family settled in Greene County, Pennsylvania, where he is enumerated in 1820 with his wife and nine children. By 1830 they had moved on to Guernsey County, Ohio, and sometime before 1850 they had moved again to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.
Tully was a merchant in Cincinnati, as was his son John who married Anne Workman there in 1838. John was a highly successful wholesale merchant of sewing supplies. In 1851 he and his older brother James gave $22,000 for the construction of Mount Saint Mary Seminary, a Catholic seminary in the Price Hill district of Cincinnati. In 1860 they donated land for St. Ann's, a Catholic Church and school, to be built across the river in West Covington, Kentucky.
Tully's youngest son was Richard D. Slevin , who was probably born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1850 he was still living at home with his parents, but shortly thereafter he married Martha Orange who was herself the daughter of another Cincinnati merchant. Interestingly, the Oranges were a staunch Protestant family, descended from French Huguenots, making theirs a "mixed marriage". Martha seems to have adopted Richard's Catholic faith, which may have led to an estrangement with her family.
Their first son was Francis Tully Slevin (Frank), born in Cincinnati in 1852. Their next child, a daughter, was born in 1855 in Missouri, where they must have lived for a short time. Probably around 1856 they then moved to Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky where they remained until at least after 1880. Richard, like his father, brother and father-in-law, was also a well-off dry goods merchant.
Richard's widow Martha lived in St. Louis, Missouri from at least 1889 until her death in 1910. I suspect that she may not have moved there until after Richard's death, but I have not been able to prove this yet.
Frank married Mary E. Spalding. The Spaldings were quite prominent in Kentucky. Mary was a sister of John Lancaster Spalding, future Archbishop of Peoria. By 1880, Frank was living in Peoria, Illinois and working as an insurance broker. Three of his brother-in-laws also lived there, quite near to Frank and Mary.
Another son, Richard D. Slevin (named for his father), attended St. Louis University as a Divinity student. By 1910 he had become President of Detroit College, in Detroit, Michigan.
Frank and Mary's oldest son, Richard Spalding Slevin, attended Rush Medical College in Chicago, and had a medical practice in Peoria. In 1907 while living in St. Louis, Missouri (near his grandmother, Martha Orange Slevin) he committed suicide by jumping out of a window.
Frank and Mary's second son, Spalding Lancaster Slevin Sr. (born 1882, died 1962) was married to Lucille Wagner. Lucille was born in Tavistock, Canada and was of German descent. They had three sons, Spalding Lancaster, Jr., Eugene, and John. Spalding Sr. and his brother Eugene were in business together, running Slevin Sales Co, a manufactoring agency.
Spalding Slevin Jr.
1945?
Spalding Slevin, Jr. after his service in the Navy went on to own Slevin Container Co. which manufactured corrugated boxes.